Electrical switch-board



No. 243,320. Patented June :21 1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPHUS G. SNELL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 243,320, dated June 21, 1881,

Application filed March 14, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AnoLrnUs G. SNELL, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Iniprovement in Electrical Switch-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a top view; Fig. 2, longitudinal section; Fig. 3, transverse section; Figs. 4 and 5, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in electric switch-boards, with special reference to telephonic communication, or where frequent changes between different lines are desirable; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the switch-board. Across the board are several bars, a a a a 850., each of which is in connection with a different wire or circuit. On these bars are hung or hinged several jacks, l 2 3 4 5, &c., one end lying flat upon the surface of the board, the other or heel end enlarged, so as to present a flat surface, I), at right angles to the plane of the jacks when lying down.

Longitudinally beneath each line of jacksthat is, jacks of the same number and at right angles to the barsa groove, B, is made in the board, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and in the bottom of this groove is a metal plate, d, and upon these plates are flat springs 6, each independent of the other, attached by one end to the plate d, the other end free and a little above the surface of the plate, and so that when the jack is turned up, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 2, its fiat end I) will bear upon and compress the spring 0, hence making a metallic connection between the bar on which the jack is and the plate beneath it.

The jack is very short (shown full size in the drawings) and so that a large number may be brought within a very small space-that is to say, the circuit-bars may be within one inch of each other and the plates within one-half inch of each other-that is, the jacks one-half inch from centers. The heel end of the jack 0 pro- (No model.)

jects above the surface of the jack as a convenient means for depressing that end of the jack and raising the other, so that the operator placing his finger upon that upwardlynoject ing end may press the heel downward and easily bring his thumb beneath the other end to turn it up into a vertical position, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 2.

The operation of the switch is as follows: Supposing it be desired to connect circuit a with circuit a thejack 2 on the circuit a will be turned up, and the corresponding jack 2 on the circuit a will be turned up, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 2, and the connection is made between the two circuits by the plate d beneath the jacks. Other circuits are connected in like manner. The springs 0 yield as the jacks are turned and make a firm connection between the jacks and the plates, and also serve to hold the jacks in that position. When turned down they rest on the board by their own gravity.

In some cases it may be preferred to have detachablejacks. In thatcase thejack is made with a notch,f, as seen in Fig. 4., so as to engage the circuit-bar and bear upon the spring, and so that when turned down it may be readily detached from one bar and placed upon another. I prefer, however, the fixed hin ged jack.

Instead of em ploying an independent spring, 6, between each jack and the plate, the supports for the end of the circuit-bars may be provided with springs, as seen in Fig. o, so that the bar will yield as the jacks are turned. This spring-connection is best given by extending the support or post at the ends of the bars through the board, as seen in Fig. 5, and applying a spring, 8, between the back of the board and a head, it, on the rear end of the post, so that when thejack is turned the bar will rise from the board, compressing the spring 8; and as the jack approaches either its up or down position the reaction of the spring 8 will be applied to the jack through the bar. Each end of the circuit-bars in this case is supported in a post of this character, so that either of the jacks across the board will be readily acted upon by the spring.

I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the arrangement of springs upon the plates in the grooves beneath thejacks, itonly being essential that there shall be a spring to force the pressure between the hinged jacks on the bars and the plates below.

I claim- 1. In an electric switch-board, the combina- 5 tion of two or more bars, each bar in connection with a different line or wire, with two or more plates arranged beneath said bars at right angles thereto, jacks hinged to said bars, and a spring or springs arranged to yield as the 10 jacks are turned to make connection with the plates, and so as to make that connection forcible and hold the jacks, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch-board, the combination of two or more bars, each bar in connec- 15 tion with a line or wire, and two or more plates beneath said bars and at right angles thereto, with two or more jacks hinged upon each of said bars, and a spring arranged to yield as the jacks are turned to make connection be- 20 tween said bars and plates, and hold the jacks in connection therewith, substantially as described.

ADOLPHUS G. SNELL.

Witnesses:

L. D. ROGERS, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

